Starcraft: The Psi Chronicles
by Azaken-Chan
Summary: As factions lay siege to each other in a great war, follow the story of Terrans and Templar as they struggle to make it through all of this, and provide as much support as they can. Will the gathering allies be able to hold on, or will enemies, both new and old, tear them apart? May the stars guide them.
1. Chapter 1: Awakening

**Chapter 1: Awakening**

Laying in deep space, a large and old metallic ship sat there, staying there as it always had been.

And inside it, could be described as a terrible scene of immorality and oppression.

The clanging of metal. The jingling of chains. The cold and bleak surroundings.

That was what the Terran known as "Zero" saw every day. His body small from malnuitrtion, with some scars and injection marks around his body, as well as a device implanted on the back of his neck, he could have been mistaken as a thirteen year old boy. Of course, when one is kept in a prison, and unconscious, for years, things like that tend to happen. After all, to his captors, he was nothing more then livestock. He didn't actually remember how old he really was, just that it was much older.

Zero was just the nickname given to him, he had no real name. He didn't even understand why.

But here he was, held as a test subject on this ship. There were other Terrans, most of them had sustained extensive brain damage, and a few had died and were removed for more invasive studying, whatever that meant. It seemed invasive to him when he was experimented on. However, it was not just Terran Prisoners. In the cells next to him were two Protoss, apparently a Dark Templar and a High Templar, also in chains with Psi-Dampeners disrupting their psionic abilities. In truth, he had the same, as he was also a psionic.

Zero barely even had memories anymore, of what freedom was like. He had gotten to know some of the people around him, but most were already suffering from some sort of madness when they arrived here. Only the two Templar remained right now that had not succumbed to insanity, Arkas the High Templar, and Razatul the Dark Templar. The only reason he had not gone completely feral most likely was thanks to these two, as they had eventually gone about sharing their stories with him, and occasionally teaching him words of the protoss language. It was their only form of entertainment, after all.

However, it appeared their rest was over, as a few scientists along with armed escorts came into the ship.

"Take subject Zero, as well as the Research Material, to the lab. Its time for the next test" he said, giving the order. It was the lead scientist on the project, Dr. Auburn.

Following his orders to the letter, the three of their cells were opened. At this point, none of them tried to resist. There was not any point, they were kept just well enough to live, but after dozens of tries, they knew it would be fruitless.

_Kekekekeke..._

For a moment, Zero thought he heard something, but when he looked around, he saw nothing. He was then pushed, and forced to follow, so he ended up losing the thought entirely.

The lab was the place of many painful memories. There was some protoss technology there, often the templar might be questioned as to what they were. Even if they did not resist being moved, it was here that they remained quite defiant, at least most of the time. Even still, their minds would not hold out forever. As for Zero, it was likely they would perform more experiments on him, though he was never quite sure of why. They seemed to be interested in Protoss technology and psionics, so maybe that was related, but he wasn't sure.

There were also shelves full of crates with a yellow crystal in them. He had heard it referred to as Jorium.

Either way, the guards were pushing them towards the experimentation tables, which they would be shackled too...but that was when the entire place shook, and alarms went off.

"Attention! Attention! Bulkhead breach in sector nine! Intruders Detected! Zerg Lifeforms Detected!"

Another explosion was felt, and this time they gave off an alert in a different sector. It was quite obvious, the ship was under attack. Dr. Auburn had already left, but a few others were there. The explosions had thrown them off balance...and it was in that moment that Arkas and Razatul struck. Razatul quickly turned around and ripped the rifle out of the marine's hands, firing it into him and then another, while Arkas moved around the side and pulled the pin off a grenade before pushing the marine into another while jumping back, causing them both to die from the grenade explosion. A few scientists tried to run, but Zero had managed to move and grab two of them. He was still weak, but they had been allowed to rest and eat so that they would be able to give proper results for the experiments. Normally, they would be watched and on guard, but the attack provided the distraction they needed.

"If you take out our Psi-Dampeners, then we wont kill you" Zero explained, getting right to the point. "So decide now".

The scientists, seeing the guards dead and the Templar armed, quickly agreed to the proposal. The Psi-Dampeners were made to be easily disabled or removed for experiments involving Psionics, so this was not hard for them. Of course, they were made to do it one at a time, starting with Arkaz, and ending with Razatul, so that all three of them were free.

"Alert" another broadcast came over. "Zerg Creep Detected. Zerg Infestation confirmed".

Now, the three prisoners looked at each other. They simply nodded, as no words were needed. Though they all came from different origins, they had gotten to know each other, and they recognized each other as allies. Friends, even.

"Now, you are going to take us to the hanger at once" Razatul said. "Provided you want to escape alive, that is, you will not get there alone".

The scientist simply nodded, understanding that right now, if he tried to ditch or betray them, he would likely get killed, or worse, by the zerg.

"Understood" he replied, as the group left the lab. None of them had ever seen the full scope of this place, but with the Psi-Dampeners off, they were able to sense things to some extent. Zero nearly collapsed though, but managed to stay standing when he felt it.

"What...what is this?" he asked, as High Templar Arkas picked him up and supported him.

"I see...this is the first time you have felt the psionic hivemind of the Zerg. It is indeed a wretched thing".

"So...this is the Zerg, huh?"

"Indeed. The Zerg Swarm, led by the Queen of Blades. We must depart immediately" Razatul answered, as the scientist opened a sealed door. The moment it opened, they noticed organic substance growing on the walls. Arkas raised his free hand, and unleashed a psionic storm on it to eradicate it and cleanse the area. "ANd it appears to be spreading, rapidly. We must depart at once".

The group pushed forward, hurrying towards the direction the scientist made. Zero could feel the pressence of his mind, now that his Psi-Dampener was removed. He did not feel any deception, only fear. Fear for his own life.

He didn't quite feel evil, but Zero did not think he was good either. He just felt weird...and absent. However, he didn't have any more time to think about that, as he felt strong lifeforms approaching.

"Ark, Ral" he said, using shorthand due to the urgency.

"Yeah, I sense them too...but, this is strange..."

As they said that, the door burst open, and zerg lifeforms appeared. Arkas recognized them immediately, and Zero felt a disturbance in his mind.

"Hunter Killers?!" he said, quickly projecting a Psi-Shield around the group. The Hunter killers fired with great force, piercing the shield and hitting both Arkas and Razatul. The scientist had run ahead to another door, while as he was being carried by Arkas, Zero was not hit by any of the attacks.

Gasping in shock, Zero formed a small amount of psionic lightning in his palm and shot it out, hitting one of the Hunter Killers before jumping to the others. It didn't do much damage, but it seemed to stun then for a few moments.

"In here! We have weapons in here!" the Scientist told them, opening up a sealed door. Arkas and Razatul retreated inside, and the scientist sealed the door before the Hunter Killers could fire again.

"What were those things?"

"Those...were Hunter Killers. A Special Zerg Strain. They dont come on any normal attack" Arkas said, glaring over at the scientist. "You, what is your name Terran? What did you do to invoke the Zerg's wraith like this?"

"I am Doctor Peter Arcani. We...we do have some zerg speciments on other levels, they wanted to see if the genetics could be used...for other things, and for the project".

"What project could constantly warrant all this experimentation?!"

"Our group has ties...to the Umojans. They heard rumors, of zerg research being done by the confederates. And about rumors of the protoss later, and their psionic powers and technology. And so, our director decided to, in secret, perform experiments using Terrans to use Zerg adaptation genes to allow Terrans to gain protoss psionic abilities, as well as possibly the aspect of cellular regeneration and even immortality. Out of all the test subjects acquired, he was the most successful case".

"Then the reason all those Terrans had brain damage..."

"They were being used to help refine the process, with that boy as the base. In truth, that last operation was believed to finish the process...to create a Terran/Protoss hybrid of our own".

"All of this...just because one guy thought it was okay, you figured it was okay if you did it as well?! This boy was just a child!" Razatul said, enraged.

"Please, you think I wanted to work here?! I was told I would be working on medical formulas, and then I found myself working in a place where disobediance or quitting meant death!" he said, as Hunter Killer spikes began to pierce the door. Arkas and Razatul were not looking so great themselves. "Anyways, we need to get out of here. I think those Hunter Killers might have poisoned you".

As he said this, he looked over and went to a crate, opening it up. Inside was various Protoss Weaponry, clearly taken from prisoners. There were also other Protoss devices, including Psi-Shield devices, and next to the crate had some Terran tech as well. Given the whole group had no armor, having Psi-Shield technology of any kind was helpful. Although a full suit of armor would be better, at least they would not be taken out in a single hit.

That said, Arkas and Razatul could feel the venom flowing through their veins. They wouldn't last long if they kept having to fight, so they needed to get off the ship.

"This is strange though..." Arkas mentioned. "Im not sure if this is enough for Hunter Killers. The Queen of Blades cant so easily make them, as they were originally of Daggoth's brood".

"No matter" Razatul mentioned. "We can get answers later, after we escape and reach Protoss space".

"It will be fine if I came with you, right?" Zero asked, as the scientist handed him a terran device. "What is this?"

"Its a prototype, a Terran Plasma Shield Device. It naturally uses a small portion of the users psionic energy though, and we were told to make it so anyone, even marines, could use them" the scientist answered first. "ANd I dont mind being dropped off at a Terran settlement along the way, I just want to live, and hopefully start a peaceful, not blood filled life, maybe ill start a clinic..."

Arkas and Razatul looked at each other, and nodded. "Indeed. It would not be the first time we welcomed a Terran into our midst, and we will personally vouch for you, Zero".

Notably, the scientist couldn't help but notice that they spoke a bit more informally with Zero then he had seen other Protoss interact with each other in logs. Even to other Terran Friends, they were often refered to as "Friend" and then their name.

"Is there another way out of here?" Zero asked as a few more Hunter Killer attackes breached the door. "Cause I dont think that is opening".

"There is another door back here" he said, leading them to the back of the armory. The door was already unlocked and opened, but the hallway was clear. "It looks fine...im surprised we have not seen other Terrans yet".

"They probably evacuated, or went to fight the Zerg" Zero said.

"Or got infested already..." Arkas mentioned, not overly caring for his captors too much.

"Anyways, the hanger is just down here" he said, as the group headed towards the hanger. Once they made it there, they opened the door, and saw that creep had already spread across the area. There was still a shuttle that looked untouched on the far side though. Still, this did not feel very good.

"I sense a trap".

"Agreed".

"This is definitely a trap".

The group entered the hanger anyways though.

"If we know its a trap..."

"This is our only escape route. We dont have time to try any others. So, we might as well deal with it. That said...iv never seen a shuttle quite like that".

"Its an experimental design, incorperating Protoss tech. Its had a few successful test flights, though it will only respond to a psionic pilot..."

The group began to make their way there, with Arkas using his psionic lightning to clear a path through the creep. The others stayed on alert, but nothing seemed to happen. However, as they were approaching, two Hunter Killers came out from behind, while another four emerged from the entrance, firing at them. ANd outside, they saw something very strange...a large ariel Zerg, different from a Leviathan, out there, linked to the ship. It was massive for sure, but neither of the Templar recognized it.

As they were fired upon, their shields deflected the attacks, which allowed them to rush towards the entrance. Unfortunately, the spines penetrated the shields in the last instant as they ran up the ramp, Two hunter killers attacked them when they were inside, but Razatul cut through them with his Psi blades before collapsing in the cargo bay. Arkas meanwhile let loose a psionic storm at the entrace ramp with a bit more power then usual, to keep the Hunter Killers away as he collapsed as well.

"Guys! Ark! Raz!"

"...the hunter killer poison...its too strong..."

"...I dont think...we are going to make it..."

Zero cried a little, as the two protoss collapsed. The scientist went over to the control panel to open up the pilot area. "We dont have long...no, no!"

Suddenly, he got hit with a Hunter Killer spine as well, and fell to the ground, dying. Zero looked over at the ramp.

"...we cant...I wont be able to make it on my own..."

"...there is...one last thing...we can try..." Arkas said, grasping Razatul's hand, as well as Zero's. Razatul seemed to understand immediately.

"But...we cant be sure..."

"I have heard tales of it working...and, and if its true what that scientist said...he should be able...we should be able..."

"What...what do you two mean?"

"Zero...we wont survive this...but, there may be a way...we dont have to leave you...and we can help you survive. But, its risky...you might die..."

Zero just cried some more. "I am going to die anyways if you dont...and I truth you, both of you. Do it...but first...Zero is not a real name I think. So please, give me a name first?"

"Understood...then how about one I figure you will love to accept. Humans usually have two names so...Ark Raza".

"I agree with that name...now, let us begin" Razatul said, as they heard the psionic storm outside ending. ANd then, with all three hands grasped together...Arkas and Razatul attempted something unprecedented. They began the merging into the most powerful psionic being in the Protoss Arsenal, the Archon...but, rather then manifesting a physical form, they poured all of that energy into Zero. Zero's mind had been altered to be more protoss, his brain enhanced to handle more powerful psionics. Of course, this was still risky, but...even if they became an Archon here, there was no guarentee they would maintain their form before they burned out. If that happened, Zero would be left alone on the ship, and would likely end up dying in deep space as he knew nothing of the outside world, his memories long having been lost during the experimentation.

They had heard of ordinary humans being able to hold the mind of a protoss, so an enhanced mind like his, they figured could hold two.

The Hunter Killers came up to see Ark floating, surrounded by the powerful psionic energy that would match an Archon in power. They fired at him, but the needles were deflected by the powerful psionic waves emenating from him. As the merging completed, and Ark felt the power flowing through him...it was so amazing, so incredible, so large...he couldn't help but speak in amazement.

"Power...Overwhelming".

The Hunter Killers fired at him, as zerglings finally appeared. He let loose a psionic shockwave, blasting the forces back and erradicating the Hunter Killers. Using the Psi-Enhancer implant on the back of his neck, he quickly linked his mind to the signal he felt, coming from the ship, and triggered a launch. He also ordered the ramp to close, but more Zerg forces swarmed in. He telekinetically pulled the Psi-Blades to him, forcibly altering their structure to fit his arms as he powered the blades, cutting through the zerglings and two more Hunter Killers that boarded. As he did, he felt a pressence within them, trying to probe for information, but he shut it out of his mind.

Once the ramp was closed, and the engines powered, he raised the shields of the craft while engaging its stealth drive, quickly commanding the auto-pilot to get them out of there and to a different star system. And with that...he was able to successfully escape...

"Thank the stars that worked" he said, then getting a bit embarrassed. That was when he noticed, he felt...more like a person. "I don't think iv ever felt this good, or clear..."

_"Indeed...you do seem better"_ Arkas' and Razatul's voices said in unison from inside of Ark's head.

_"This is...far more spacious then I expected"_ they added. _"And it appears our minds still merged to some degree when we became an Archon, but we both still seem to be here"._

"Ark, Raz...can you hold on for a sec, there is something I need to ask that guy before he dies" Ark mentioned, and the two understanding what he meant. He then walked up to see the dying scientist, and removed the Hunter Killer thorn with one hand. "Tell me...is it true, about the Zerg DNA?"

"So...you saw..."

"Yeah, I did".

"To be...specific...it was not Zerg...DNA..." he said, spitting out blood. Sensing he was about to die, he grabbed the man's head, and probed it psionically for memories.

Indeed, it appeared they did not directly use Zerg DNA, but...after examing Zerg DNA, and believing themselves to have found the sequences that helped the Zerg rapidly adapt, they altered his own DNA to have those sequences. Its also the real reason his growth had been stunted, the Zerg Sequences were constantly keeping his body in a state to where he would not die, constantly evolving, adapting, and changing on a microscopic level. This was also why his brain was able to adapt to be more Protoss, and made it capable of holding two protoss minds inside of it.

Dropping the corpse of the scientist onto the ground, he now had three people in his brain. He also had several of Arkas' and Razatul's memories, although...he felt like he was about to collapse and be sick. Even if his brain was able to adapt, its not like this was an easy process...it was still taking its toll. And so, he made his way to the lounge of this ship, managing to make it to the couch before passing out.

* * *

Chapter Notes:

So, I was trying to base a lot of this off of lore, although some parts were ideas I also came up with. Anyways:

-This is not the first time a Protoss mind resided within a Terran mind. This has happened before in the books, with a normal, non psionic Terran having a Protoss mind inside of him. None of them were aware of this of course, but Ark's mind/brain was modified to be more Protoss like and support more powerful psionics, so the compatibility is far better.

-The physical form of the Archon is actually there simply to "Anchor" the psionic maelstrom that they create, and therefore, my idea was that Ark would be that Anchor so they could stay with him and help him longer, since Archons would normally burn out eventually.

-Certain materials, such as Jorium, have been confirmed to boost psionics. And devices to both boost and dampen psionic abilities have been well mentioned by Terrans.

-Terrans actually can reach the Psi-Level needed for Psi Blades, though generally its mainly Spectres who can do this. There was also Project Gestalt, and Nova and Kerrigan (human) were likely at that level themselves, so its not impossible to reach naturally, let alone with enhancement. If someone who might be able to do it naturally gets enhancement, their psionics could get very powerful.

-The reason for Ark's appearance was for a bit of symbolism, but also realistically speaking, its an immoral research facility that does super immoral research. They dont treat the test subjects properly. Without proper nuitrtion, people end up short and thin. It would be unrealistic and unreasonable to have a test subject who was under these conditions for years to somehow be tall and well built. That just doesn't happen, its pure fan service people. Plus, I thought it would help play into the indication that they were willing to kidnap and utilize children with strong psionic potential, like Ark has, to better define them. Plus, part of the inspiration of this idea was having a terran that was raised by and felt more in common with Protoss.

-Please note that there are even Terrans who can form Psi Shields without devices, such as Tosh. **Therefore, you should assume that anything a character says is based on their knowledge and beliefs at the times, and can be subject to being inaccurate, having been lied to/telling a lie, or is just outright wrong. Terran psionics can indeed create energy shields with just their minds, at least the powerful ones.**

-The reason no specific date is mentioned is because no one knows it yet.

-Umojans are one of the Terran superpowers. Not as well known or widely expanded as the Dominion, but their advanced technology is far superior to the Dominion's. Yes, there are more Terran powers out there then just the Dominion. There is also the Kel-Morian Combine. Please do not forget such things, and allow the Dominion to have a monopoly on our attention of Terran forces. So I used them, and not the Dominion.


	2. Chapter 2: Guidance

**Chapter 2: Guidance**

Ark awoke rather sleepily, and feeling far different then normal. Of course, as someone who became psionically stimulated and charged, and was possessed by two Templar, that shouldn't be so surprising. After all, this was the comfiest place he had slept in a long time. Rather then a metal floor, an extremely comfortable couch. At least, he thought it was a couch. That was what it seemed like in a few memories he knicked from the scientist. Still, he hit the semi-deformed release on his Psi-Blades and put them on the table, freeing his bare arms. He also took off the shield harness, since he could tell it was safe in here.

That said, looking down at himself, and remembering all the other Terrans he saw, he was still shabily dressed. It was just a ragged sleeveless shirt, and a ragged par of shorts...actually, he vaguely remembered the shirt used to have sleeves, maybe those psionic shockwaves did more damage then he thought. He supposed he should be happy that all of his clothes didn't disintegrate, especially since they looked like they might at any moment. He would probably need to get some new clothes, hopefully something this ship was his size. Or that he could make his size.

Now, there was one thing he needed to deal with first, something he really wanted to try.

_"Really, that is the first thing you want to try Ark?" _Arkas and Razatul asked in unison, chuckling a little.

"Oh, your both still talking together...are you okay?"

_"Its a side effect of using an Archon Merge. Your body will anchor us to this world, but we still performed a merge, so we became one being...I suppose calling both of our names would be difficult, so just refer to me, or us, as Karaz. It incorporates parts from both of our names, after all"._

"Ah, alright Karaz. Well in that case" he said, getting undressed. "Yes, yes it is! Its time...to take a hot shower!"

And so, Ark headed towards the showers and bathroom area of the ship. The showers themselves were all lined up together without any dividers, but not only did he lack any Terran common sense, he was also alone on this ship, the only two people being the Templar in his head who were his greatest, and only, friends. So, he was not bothered at all.

"Ahhhhhhh..." he sighed with joy as he felt the hot water help clean his body. He had only ever been hosed off, so this was far more comfortable for him. "Anyways, that was the best sleep I got ever. Man, those things really are comfortable...im definently claiming that as my spot".

_"Well, you are the only physical being on this ship, so I dont think anyone will contest that"_ Karaz said.

"True...oh, what is this? Is that the weird shampoo think I saw in a fragment of the scientist's memory?" Ark wondered out loud, as he picked up the bottle. He was able to open the cap easily enough, but he applied far too much strength and caused a huge bunch to ccome out at once, getting it all across his body. The hot water quickly helped wash it away, but as he stepped back, it had made him slippery so he slipped and fell on his rear.

"Ow...I guess its more dangerous then I thought" he said, as his hair suddenly felt as if someone was washing it. "Karaz, is this you?"

"Yes. It appears I can still control things psionically to a certain extent around you, and apply telekinetic fields".

"Well, thats pretty useful. Then you can help watch my back" he said with a smile.

"Indeed. That said, we should get to a Protoss world straight away. There is still a chance this could result in long lasting damage to your body if we remain. With any luck, we might be able to use some old technology to transfer our consciousnesses into robotic shells".

"Ooh, that sounds like a good idea. However...I have no idea where we are, or where Protoss Space is from here" Ark said as he got back up. As the templar helped wash him, he was finally clean for the first time in a long time, truly clean and not just washed off. After that, he raided the closet, but...

"As expected, the sizes are all too big...damned Zerg DNA is halting my growth".

_"That said, you do feel more active, physically and mentally"._

"Well, I think the memories I got from you two, as well as the scientist, helped. I mean, I only knew the inside of my cell for so long, my mental development stagnated worse then my physical development" Ark mentioned. "By the way, in my dreams...was that Auir and Shakuras? They looked absolutely beautiful...the Gardens on Auir especially, I really want to know what all of those plants were".

"Unfortunately, Auir was lost to the Zerg, but one day, surely, Heirarch Artanis will reclaim it!"

"Who knows, maybe we can help" Ark said, looking back down at his body. He was relatively able to understand, thanks to the memories he got from the Templar, and the Scientist, that he was stronger then average. Not just psionically, but physically. And also... "I think I am also recovering some of my own memories, so maybe the more I live, the more I participate, the more I will grow".

_"Well, we will both happily assist you in that" _Karaz replied, making Ark feel really warm and happy inside.

"Right, now...what can I make fit me..." he said, taking out some standard grey shirts, and some black pants with a toolbelt. The pants were too long for him, however the belt had an auto-adjuster, really basic tech, on it, so he could adjust it to his waist size. That said, it still felt weirdly big.

_"Erm...maybe you should check the woman's locker area?"_

"Good idea!" Ark said, unphased by the idea due to lacking Terran common sense. He then went over to the female's area, where he found a shirt and some shorts that would fit just fine, a bit loose but comfort was good. More importantly, it did not appear like it would fall off from a light breeze. He was also able to find a pair of female boots, the smallest size, that fit him well. In addition, he found an engineering jumpsuit he could wear later, and some winterwear. However, he didn't put anything but the shorts and shirt on for now, because he was unused to wearing shoes so they felt uncomfortable to him.

With clothing out of the way, he checked the food supply. It appeared to be fully stocked for a full crew of twenty. And then, it finally occured to him.

"Not only do I not know where I am, or how to find Protoss space, we dont even have Engineers to run the ship" he mentioned. After all, he found plenty of sleeping quarters, as well as a private captain's quarters (which he claimed as well), so there was room for others.

Also, the Templar advised him that due to his outward appearance, there were Terrans who might not take him seriously.

"So basically, we need to find a reliable engineer, who wont judge me by appearance, at least so easily, that we can trust, and get him to join us...well, at least the trust part will be easy. We can just read his mind".

_"Thats true. That said, we should still be careful. Even with all of our power, there are beings in the universe that are stronger then us Psionically" _ he said as a warning. Off the top of his head, he thought of a certain Dark Archon, but hoped they would never encounter someone like that.

And so, Ark headed to the piloting room, and activated the manual controls. It seemed through his implant, he could control the ship remotely through psionics, but this was easier. That said, he understood why only psionics could pilot it. The sensor system and navigation beamed thoughts right into his head, and also responded to his commands back. It was efficient, sure, but it was also completely inoperable by non-Psionics.

"Did these guys have some weird obsession with Psionics?"

_"Much of protoss technology uses psionics, so that might be why"._

"I see...since all protoss are psionic, I guess that makes sense" he said, as he flipped through their comm system, looking for any active signals that he could use to locate anything. Honestly, if the ship didn't feed all this information into his brain, he probably could not pilot it anyways. He had never piloted anything before...technically, he still hasn't. it was all auto-pilot right now. Which is why he wanted something to track. Something to follow, so that they didn't get lost forever. Space was a pretty big place after all.

Eventually, he managed to find the galaxy map, and even got their location. From this point, he saw various other locations pop up.

_"We do not recognize any of these worlds. Most likely, we are deep within Terran Space"._

"Right...looks like each planet has listed information. Thats convienent".

He saw that a few had been marked OFF LIMITS in red letters, it appeared they were worlds overrun by the Zerg. There was also some news reports popping up about suspicious zerg activity.

"Looks like the entire sector is on fire" he pointed out as he looked through the planets. "Any suggestions".

_"Avoid any world labeled Dominion if possible. Also Zerg. If there is a remote world or a colony world, that might be best"._

"Hmm...hold on, we have one that is marked yellow, advising caution...an outlaw area?"

_"That could be problematic in its own way, but less of a chance of the Dominion Fleet. And if we use our psionic talents well enough, we could probably navigate it very well. Just...there is going to be a lot of rough types..."_

"That might work out in its own way..." Ark mentioned. "People wont take me serious in normal negotiations you said, and since I have no real records to prove my identity, we cant use that. So...shouldn't we just use force?"

_"That...might actually work. Though I fear for your education if we resort to force this early, it is something that you can use to make outlaws respect you at least. We just need to be wary around them all the same"._

"Well, it looks like this ship has some automated defenses and security, and cloaking...but still, we should make sure it wont get stolen".

And with taht in mind, they selected their destination.

* * *

Planet Name, New Sydney. Although technically a Dominion World, it was far from the center of Dominion space and employed more then enough questionable labor, including child labor and exploition of workers. There was a few dominion facitilies in certain regions, but for the most of it, it was essentially a world of outlaws. And centered in the middle of outlaw activity was the city of Raiyos.

"We should avoid using landing pads, since we dont have any money...im amazed they have yet to detect us".

_"It appears this ship possesses both terran and Nerazim cloaking techniques. Only the mightiest and most powerful detectors can find this ship"._

At that point, he landed on the roof of an old building on the outline of the city, and proceeded to gear up. Thanks to the pressence of child laborers, his own gear would not stand out as much, so he wouldn't attract weird attention from the getgo. They had three primary goals for this trip. The gathering of information, getting some supplies, and if possible, to collect some crew mates. Of course, willing people would be best, especially if they could be agreed with, but if necessary, the templar recommended a total psionic domination. Rumor has it that Dead Man's Port, which was a location further away, was also a good spot, but it was not in the list of nearby locations for the ship. Incidentally, they ended up naming the ship Tempest, since it was a Terran ship and a Protoss name might seem off.

From what he learned in the memories of the Templar, it appeared the Dominion was ruled by a tyrant and an enemy of the protoss called Acturus Mengsk, and his forces tended to sieze absolute control with no concern for rights of individuals, just keeping the appearance of happy masses.

Apparently the previous institution, the Confederacy, was not that honorable itself either, and so it seemed like it was hard to trust Terran governments all that much.

"...this place is terrible" Ark said, remembering the gardens of auir and the crystal caves of Shakurus, as well as the protoss cities. Meanwhile, compared to them, this place was far more polluted. It was not absolutely terrible, certainly there were nice parts about it. But Ark's opinion was skewed from the memories inherited from the protoss.

Compared to those garden worlds, even the nicer Terran worlds would be worse by comparison, although Auir right now was covered in creep and other issues, such as the corpse of a giant eyeball known as the Overmind. At least, that was the nickname Ark came up for him, accurate or not.

That said, once he got out into the back alleys, it was a bit cleaner and nicer. Men, women, children were on the streets. Some kids were playing.

_"This is an outlaw world? Did something weird happen here?"_

"I have no clue...but it seems strange. Wasn't this a world that used child labor?"

_"Likely not all children are exploited, that would be overkill even for them. I suppose this could mean the area is relatively peaceful...ah, that must be it"._

"What do you mean?"

_"This place is far from the Dominion, even for Fringe Worlds. Its entirely possible that the reason these people are peaceful is because they have been spared the scars and horrors of the Second Great War"._

"So, because everyone else is suffering, these people are happy because they are not?"

_"The zerg is a terrifying force, and the Dominion is oppressive. Being so far away from both of those things, no, because its so far away, the Dominion cant even spare the troops to proper oppress these people. ANd because the Zerg prefer targets with high populations, they are drawn more towards the Dominion Core Worlds"._

"I see...so they know they are safe, and that happiness has made things better".

_"It also means less fighting in the streets, as there is less forces to conflict with". _

"Well, we wanted to avoid the Dominion, but this could be good in its own way. If its not a complete wasteland, we might find some decent engineers then. Where do we start?"

_"I believe, based on many intercepted and overheard Terrans, the best source of information would be an establishment that sells alcohol"._

"So...this thing called a bar then? Got it".

And so, Ark headed towards a bar.

* * *

Aston Collins was currently mulling over a beer, wondering what to do about his current situation. After all, he desperately needed to make the deadline, or else he was in big trouble. But so far, he had yet to find the thing that he needed to get back, nor did he have a ship to take him to Last Junction. After all, the place was even more lawless then this place. But if he didn't...well, it wouldn't be pretty. However, he couldn't afford the price of the ships he wanted, because he had to pay the "privacy" tax. After all, he couldn't let anyone else see his cargo.

He was hoping to hear something, anything of use in this bar, but so far most of the people were just muscleheads or drunk, and a few maybe even illiterate. Still, this place had some of the best information brokers around, they just didn't always advertise themselves. And also they were expensive, so overhearing things, anything, however fragmented, would be better.

At that point though, he started to hear a commotion coming from the other side of the bar. There, he saw a boy, he wasn't sure how old, but too young to be drinking, standing face to face...metaphorically...with a guy twice his size.

"Little brats shouldn't be here" he said, going to pick him up and throw him out. And yet...he just stomped on the guy's foot, went around the side, and jumped up and kicked him right in the back. He had never quite seen fighting like that before.

"ANd for the record, I am at least twenty three!" he shouted in annoyance. His voice sounded young though, but...pretty sure a kid couldn't do what he just did, so he decided to take his statement at face value.

Rather, wasn't that man bleeding a little?

Either way, the bar returned to a normal atmosphere. It appeared his strength had been accepted, so people were now doing their own things. Still, it seemed like he was looking around...was he looking for someone?

For a moment, he felt a headache spike in his head for no reason. It confused him at first, though he then noticed others also having a headache spike. This still confused him, until he saw the "boy" focus his gaze on him.

_Great...a telepath..._ he moaned internally on instinct, before realizing how much of a mistake that was.

_"Oh good, so we dont have to go through all that then" _the boy communicated directly into his mind. _"It seems like we might be able to solve each other's problems, so how about we cut to the chase. I need an Engineer for my ship, and you need to repay a debt to someone at a place called Last Junction. See where I am going?"_

The telepath then sat down next to him on the bar stool, smiling just like a kid, although his eyes were full of ambition and greed. It didn't look like he planned to drop the topic.

"Very well...its not like I have any better options".

"Technically, you have none. Name is Ark by the way. Ark Raza".

"What do you mean by none?"

"Well, it looks like there are some people here looking to rob you of said cargo. Well, I suppose they dont plan on killing you until you talk, so if you never talked, you would live" he pointed out as he turned around.

"By the way...most telepaths dont cause a headache like that, so its likely you are the one that aggrivated them Ark" Aston mentioned, pointing out his poor telepathy skill.

"Ah, my bad...my psionics recently got a boost, so I guess I didn't hold back properly" Ark mentioned, as he jumped to his feet. Ark was noticably shorter then him, but he couldn't help but notice Ark's arms seemed a bit bulky. Collin got up as well, finishing his drink and paying the bartender. Seeing the bartender not especially extatic about what would happen next...

"Ah, Ark...how good of a psionic are you?"

"If you mean, can I fight...ah, I see. You were curious if we could do that" Ark said, handling his telepathy a bit better as Aston only got a minor headache this time. "Hmm...I suppose, lets see what happens!"

"Hey wait!" Aston pointed out, as two big mercenary types seemed to come at them. After realizing they had been read, and seeing the likely person to have read them sit down with Collins, Ark had already been labeled as an enemy. Still, Ark suddenly accelerated in speed, kicking one of them in the shin while retrieving his combat knife, and stabbed him in the lower back. It seemed the fight had begun.

Two more of them raised guns and fired at Ark, but he lept up far higher and more nimble then any Terran he had seen before, and telekinetically pulled their sidearms from their hands and shot them with their own guns. However, one of them that charged before came after Collins himself, as he was their real target. He took out his own sidearm, and fired a blue bolt of energy. As someone with engineering skills, and who worked with shady individuals, he understood how having an untracable gun could be helpful. So he built one...well, more then one. That was what got him into this whole mess after all.

He then took the large rifle the man had, but rather then killing them, he shot their kneecaps. That was because they started the fight, and the Bartender was tough and well connected. Basically, he was leaving them alive so he could stick them with the bill to repair the bar, something the bartender wholeheartedly approved of. Meanwhile, Ark let loose a bolt of psionic lightning, frying the last guy.

"We should probably get moving. We need to get to your ship, and then pick up my cargo" Collins mentioned. He would ask about those absurd psionic abilities later.

"Right...actually, your cargo is closer, and I can remote pilot it to us" Ark mentioned, as Collin's got another minor headache. "Ah, sorry".

"Just...try and get that under control" he mentioned, as he began to lead Ark towards the cargo. "By the way, is it really so easy to trace weapons?"

"Its not especially easy nowadays, but its certainly a tactic that can be employed. The most successful crime lords are often the cautious ones" Collins replied, as they headed down a back alley and down a corner. "Those moves are really great by the way...exactly who trained you?"

He turned back with an innocent, yet extremely scary grin. "The Protoss".

At that point, Collins threw all expectations of common sense out the window with Ark.

* * *

_"This human...will he be sufficient?" _Karaz asked with some concern.

_He should be fine. He doesn't have any plans to betray me, and he seems like a good guy deep down. _Ark thought in his head. _That said...are Terran minds normally so fragile? I feel like I nearly broke some people back there..._

_"They do not possess the same kind of minds as Protoss, and their normal psionic potential is low. They are far weaker psionically, though they make up for it in other areas"._

_Got it_ Ark said to them in his head as they got to the warehouse in the back alley. Ark had already triggered the remote flight protocol to come and get them. He had hoped maybe the ship had a recall function, but it appears they never got that aspect working...

Maybe he should find a protoss phase-smith next? Well, the ship was built by Terrans, so they definently needed a Terran engineer.

"We have incoming!" Collins mentioned, raising the rifle as he got behind cover and fired. That said, he was focusing more on the cover and keeping himself alive, so his shooting was haphazard. Ark sent off a psionic shockwave in that direction, blasting the forces with overwhelming force.

Of course, this was only because he was serving as an anchor for the psionic maelstrom known as the Archon. And that was only possible due to the genetic modifications and experiments done to him. Not to mention the Psi-Enhancer implanted within him. But Collins knew none of this, so he was just thinking...

_Am I really that much like a monster?_

_"Dont mind it. He is just shocked. The Queen of Blades is far more dangerous and powerful then this"._

_More powerful then an Archon?!_

_"She could easily crush an entire Carrier with her psionics"._

_Scary!_

Ark's response to that was simple, but accurate. After all, he had seen how carriers were built, and how strong they were, from his dreams in their memories last night. A singular being crushing an entire carrier with ease? That response was entirely accurate.

"So how are we going to get the cargo out of this alley?" Collins asked.

"I am more concerned about who you upset...how do they have this many people behind them?"

"This much for a robbery does seem weird...could someone be taking advantage of it?"

Ark probed their minds for a bit, this time acting without the reserve he was trying to use with Collins. He ended up making a number of them collapse to the ground in pain.

"Just how good are these weapons you made?! Apparently they are worth enough to warrant this force to steal them!"

"Seriously...anyways, there are no other exits! So how?"

Ark got impatient, and telekinetically ripped the warehouse door off and threw it into the alley that led back here, buying some peace and opening the door. He then telekinetically ripped the crates out.

"Simple, we go up" he mentioned, as his ship decloaked above them. Collins had never seen a ship like it before, but immediately understood some of it simply upon seeing the exterior. Ark, who was monitoring him telepathically, was glad he had enough skill to do that. "Engaging Gravity Tube".

At that point, the two of them, as well as the crates, were basked in a blue light, and immediately pulled up into the cargo bay, while Ark then set the ship to immediately leave orbit and get them out of there.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the now infested research ship, a Cryssalist had appeared, surrounded by Hunter Killers. Inside, there appeared to be a person. However, the location they were in was filled with dead bodies, shut into small spaces. Essentially, a morgue.

And then, it hatched, and a Terran appeared, infested and mutated.

But he was not alone. Not mentally anyways.

_"Awaken, my servant" _a male sounding voice said to him. _"Awaken to your new life, and serve my will"._

"Yes, Master...I am thankful to you for my rebirth, and will serve you unquestioningly" he said to his master.

_"Excelent, for I have an important task for you...a particularly wonderful prize appears to have escaped, and I want it...for it shall be the key to our goal"._

Suddenly, images of Ark appeared in his head.

"Of course master, it shall be done...I shall retrieve the Terran with haste".

_"Good...serve me well, and you shall be rewarded, just like all my minions. So says the True Leader of the Swarm...Daggoth"._

* * *

Chapter Notes:

-Yes, you heard that right. Daggoth.

-Ark's psionics are powerful, but he lacks control of them, as seen through his telepathic "spikes". Frankly, if he is not careful, he could accidentally kill people...but lets put that aside for now.

-Ark's common sense, if not already apparent, is severely warped to that its more like a Protoss then a Terran.

-Ark has learned to love showers and baths.

-Both New Sydney and Last Junction are places mentioned in canon sources. Thought I would throw them in there and give them some spotlight.

-Ark prefers melee weapons and ranged psionics compared to Terran ranged weapons, such as the C-14 Rifle.

-The dropship employs reverse engineer Protoss tech, and that includes the gravity field.

-Remember the golden rule: Characters can lie, and they can be wrong. They can also lack information.


	3. Chapter 3: Distress

**Chapter 3: Distress**

"...I see" Collins said after hearing the whole story, as well as acommpanying memories, telepathically from Ark, as well as his archon friend Karaz.

It wouldn't be the first time he heard about experimentation on psionics, or trying to enhance Terran psionics. Certainly not hte first attempt to repurpose Protoss engineering. The Confederates and the Dominion, both had done experiments. Even experiments on child psionics were not new either. However, the fact was that it was still brutal to see or hear. Especially Ark, who before becoming the Archon's anchor, and gaining their memories, barely felt like he had been truly alive in his memories. Then again, how could he in that situation?

Certainly though, what he had seen was pretty much the work of scum. It appeared that after getting the memories of the protoss, as well as a few from the scientist, he actually awakened a proper personality. Although, his common sense was clearly more Protoss then Terran.

"Yep, so that is what happened" Ark mentioned. "Anyways...so where is this Last Junction place? I cant find it on the map".

"Not surprising, its rather far away, and not many maps officially list it. Hell, the planet we were just at doesn't appear in most star maps. The only reason this craft had it was probably because it was a relay point towards resupplying that lab" Collins told them. "A better question is, are you okay?"

"Right now, yeah. Why?"

"Because honestly, even with modifications and enhancements, I don't know if you could truly maintain your current position forever. Holding the entire power of an Archon...no wonder you could not properly control your psionics at that point. No, Karaz is probably stopping your psionic power from indiscriminently killing everyone around you".

Karaz, hearing that, had to admit that this Terran was sharp.

_"Indeed, that is correct that normally this would not be possible. However, he was considered the Prototype, a special case. Other terrans were experimented on to make sure it was safe for him to undergo them. A culmination of years of research. One could argue he was not even Terran anymore" _Karaz mentioned. _"The reason he didn't die is because of all of that research. And honestly, we did this knowing there was at least a decent chance of us all dying"._

"Yeah, I figured...just, well. We should get some experts to examine your body later...make sure you are not slowly killing yourself. Although, Zerg spontainous adaptation...not only doe it probably explain your appearance, but also why you are not dead. Well, I dont really understand any of this, I am more of a tech guy. Speaking of which..."

He then looked over at the Psi-Gauntlets.

"No offense, but those things are wrecks. We should probably get them reworked".

"We would need a phase smith for that, and we don't know of any Protoss in the area".

"You didn't check the...no, you probably dont know how. My bad" Collins mentioned, as he grabbed a nearby computer and began bringing some things up on the TV/Monitor in the lounge. "Recently, there have been protoss ships moving erratically all over the sector. Some acting indiscriminently, some fleeing, some asking for help and then just disappearing".

"Wait, seriously?"

"Even if this ship was adapted with Protoss tech, its still Terran by design. More then likely, its not set to recieve and intercept Protoss communications. Now that I think about it, none of you have Engineering training" Collins mentioned.

"Nope"

_"We are Templar, not Phase Smiths"._

"Ah...it appears there are reports of a damaged Protoss vessal having been spotted deep in space. If we make our way there, not only could their superior ship get us to Last Junction faster, but they could help repair your Psi-Gauntlets".

"Alright! Sounds good then" Ark mentioned, with Karaz agreeing. A friendly protoss ship sounded like a wonderful idea, although the damage did sound concerning.

* * *

Once they had started searching the area, it did not take long for Ark and Karaz to sense the pressence of the Protoss ship, although...some of it felt strange and weird. Among what they could sense was panic and fear.

_"We have detected something up ahead...but, caution should be advised..."_ Karaz said to them. Certainly, what lay in front of them was a Carrier, but a damaged one. But it was not a normal carrier. _"A Super Carrier? That is what is in distress? And those damages...did they get boarded?"_

"We will need to check it out" Ark mentioned, and set the ship to dock with the hanger bay, sending a psionic signal to the crew of the Super Carrier. As they landed though, while no one appeared visible, Ark could feel the pressence of Dark Templar.

"Oh, I guess they are being cautious" Ark said as he landed, the ship shaking a bit. "Sorry, still not used to using manual controls".

"Lets just go meet them" he mentioned, following Ark to disembark. Once they lowered the ramp though, Ark immediately made eye contact with a cloaked Dark Templar and smiled. Of course, it was Karaz who let him find them.

"Who seeks our attention?" one of the Dark Templar asked as they decloaked. However...

_"Is that...Prelate Sarak?" _ Karaz asked, extending his telepathic communication to all the Dark Templar. Sarak seemed to respond to hearing this voice, and feeling this psionic energy.

"This...might take a bit of explaining" he mentioned, as they disembarked and Ark and Karaz began to explain everything telepathically.

By the time they made it to the bridge, they encountered some phase smiths, as well as other Protoss who were not Nerazim. However...

_"By the way...why is everyone's Nerve Cords severed?"_

"I see...you were captured, and already cut off, so you did not know" Sarak mentioned. "In fact, we were only able to secure and cut off the key members of this ship. There are areas we have locked down, because they possess templar still tied to the Khala and have been infected..."

"The Khala was infected?!" Ark said in shock.

"Yes...it was turned against us, by one known as Amon. He is currently causing great destruction to our own people with our fleets, and causing no end of chaos to Terran worlds too. Furthermore, it appears as if he had brought Zerg and Terran forces to his side".

"Sounds terrible" Ark said, as they approached the current commander of this Super Carrier, the Koramund Ehlna, which meant Great Wonder Sanctuary. Ark understood that something was lost in translation, but this vessal was mainly used to protect civilians and Protoss settlements. However, with the corruption of the Khala, their own charges attacked them, causing this damage, not to mention damage caused by the crew. "So then, to free them..."

"We need to sever their Nerve Cords".

Ark, who felt a kinship with the Protoss, could not overlook this, and rolled up his sleeves, revealing his own modified Psi-Gauntlets.

"Then we shall help".

"I am not very good with blades, but I have a decent understanding of Enginering. I can help you get some of the things repaired if you give me the tools and some advice on Protoss architecture".

The Commander then turned around, a Nerazim woman by the name of Hazaral.

"Are you sure you can manage?"

_"He has witnessed our memories, and is inheriting our skills. And we shall support him"._

"Ahh, Honored Prelate and Templar, so it is true you merged in such an...unusual fashion. Truly, I have heard great tales from both of you. Still, he appears..."

_"He is more like us. Do not let Terran appearances fool you. It is not the first time a Terran has exceeded our expectations"._

Hazaral could not help but feel a bit amused. Collins was wondering a bit where that laugh came from though, since all Protoss communicated telepathically and had no mouths. Well, it seemed as if they interacted with Terrans before, so maybe they picked it up from them?

"Very well. We can use all the blades we can muster. Most of the Templar have been taken care of, but they put up a fight, and most of us are recovering from injuries. Plus, I am interested to see how someone trained by both the High Templar and the Dark Templar, who inherited memories of two people made one, shall fight".

In a way, she was curious to see what fighting style was born. Although they had united and were getting along, all of this was recent. However, this Terran only knew how to fight as a Protoss, though he made up parts on the spot. However, she thought he might make a good reference to create a fighting style that combined their two people's abilities. And furthermore...maybe it was due to the power of Empathy, but she felt sorry for what had happened to the boy. Even if he was no logner a boy...one could hardly say he was given the proper chance to live until now.

"Sarak, prepare your Templar. It is time to finally free the remainder of our crew".

Although they had no mouth, Collins felt as if Sarak was smiling, or at least happy.

"Of course. Zira vek kryor!"

Collins didn't understand what he said at the end either, not for sure, but he was pretty sure it was along the times of "Let us fight!".

"Adun Toridas!"

* * *

"Here" a Phase Smith said, as he handed Ark's Psi Blades back. "We fixed them so they will operate optimally now, while also fitting you. I must say, I have never had to design something so small before, it was quite exciting! Ah, sorry. My name is Takra, of the Phase Smith caste. I was told you are essentially a Templar, how interesting! About how you fused with two Templars and became an Archon Anchor...I wonder how they managed this...ah, sorry! I get really curious for things like this!"

"Its okay. Thank you, Takra" Ark said with a smile as he equipped them. In addition, he had some shinguards that also fit better, as everything had been made in his size. In addition, although it was lighter then normal and less protective physically, he was also outfitted with modified protoss armor. Lightweight, didn't cover much, so you could see his more casual clothes underneath, but provided a shield generator. "By the way..."

"Ah yes, hearing of your psionic power, we made sure to adapt some features in it that should let you fight optimally. To think that Terran genetic engineering could create someone who could serve as an Anchor for an Archon...perhaps, was this their goal?"

Those words hit Ark and Karaz deep. They had never considered that, but thinking about it now, they had specifically kept specifically two Templar alive while the rest were deemed more expendable. Furthermore, they knew this plan had low odds of success, yet an Archon merge worked.

Thinking of it now, it would be a great way to amplify psionic power, if it could be made to work. Creating an Archon that was a giant psionic malestrom, and then putting all of that power in a Terran host? Was this what they were after from the start? Or did they want to go even further?

"...thats...a good question" Ark replied. He then looked at the other Phase Smiths. "And don't worry. We dont plan on losing".

"Your ability to sense the emotions of Protoss is quite great! One would not believe you are Terran!"

"Well, I have hundreds of years of Protoss experience in my head, and almost no Terran" Ark replied. "I cant honestly remember any Terran World before escaping, but I can close my eyes and picture the gardens of Auir so perfectly...its so beautiful, majestic...ah...I am sorry, I remember hearing what happened. It must be painful to hear".

"Not at all! I am far more interested and glad to hear it. I saw them myself when I was a child! Truly, you are Templar! Templar Ark!"

Ark couldn't help but blush at that comment. Templar was a very esteemed rank among the Protoss, it was an honor to attain it. So to be called templar like that...it was quite enjoyable.

"Well then, _Templar_ Ark" Saruk mentioned, teasing the Terran a bit. "Shall we go? We have breathren to free".

"Lead the way, Dark Prelate".

Collins meanwhile, as he was gearing up to do repair work, walked next to Hazaral. "They are accepting him far more quickly then I would have thought".

"We Protoss communicate telepathically, which also means we can get to know each other very quickly. And Ark is leaving his mind completely open to us...even more open then people normally might. Terrans, including yourself, subconsciously would not do that...but through the merge, and memory recollection, not to mention all those years as Prisoners together...he is not wrong to say he was raised by the Protoss" she admittedly. "Anyways, with all that, and with his mind open, we naturally feel everything. His thoughts, his emotions, his very state of being. How can you not trust and grow to like someone who you know has no secrets from you, no ulterior plans, and who truly understands you and your people? I have not met anyone so...open...since Friend Raynor".

And then, she looked over at the group preparing to go and free the Templar.

"Even those of Auir have a bit of their guard up around us...the rift is not yet completely healed, though much progress was made...his memories are the clearest I have ever seen the Gardens of Auir myself".

* * *

Once they were equipped, an access tunnel was opened for them, and then once they went through, sealed right behind them. Ark, with help from Karaz, was concealed like the other Dark Templar. However, even so...the door opened on the other side, and a contigent of zealots came in, Psi Blades activated. Among them, was a High Templar. Their eyes however, glowed red instead of blue, and Ark could sense the turmoil within them.

He could sense that they are in pain.

"Engage!"

Sarak realized that they were somehow able to sense them, and telepathically told them all to engage in battle. The Dark Templar around them seemed to move through the shadows, appearing near the Templars and going after their Nerve Cords. Ark psionically enhanced his own speed, dashing forward in an instant, and moved around the Zealot, using his size to his advantage to go under him and then sever his nerve cord from behind. As those freed collapsed to the ground, experiencing shock and relief at once, Saruk enganged the High Templar that was still under Amon's control. Ark wanted to help, but three zealots came to intercept him, dashing psionically. He blocked the blades of the first two, but it left him open to the third.

That was how it appeared at least, but he kicked upward and hit the zealot, throwing him off balance as he jumped back and hit them with psionic lightning to incapacitate them. He then rushed forward, and right as the zealot expected him to go under as he did before, he used psionic speed and reflexes to jump up and over the far taller zealot and cut off his nerve cords, before quickly rushing towards the other two and severing them as well. Meanwhile, the Dark Templar he was fighting along side were successfully able to defeat some of theirs, supporting each other as well as showing their own skills.

And in that instant, Saruk managed to blink to the other side of the high templar when he faked him out with an attack, and severed his Nerve Cord.

"You fought well, Templar" he said, looking at his dark templar brethren, and then at Ark with a nod.

"You fought honorably yourself" Ark replied. "Anyways, we should get moving, lest they catch us unguarded".

"Agreed. They will be fine once they recover, so we should move onto the others".

And so, the strike group moved forward.

* * *

The mission seemed to be progressing well, and Collins was now helping to patch up parts of the ship. He was still unfamiliar with protoss technology, but a patch job is a patch job, not needing any expertise.

"How is it looking now?" Collins asked Takra as he finished a patch job.

"Yes, it looks like internal sensors are coming back online. This is wonderful! Thank you, its been hard being so short handed".

"You dont have more Phase Smiths on board?"

"There are some still corrupted, and there are others who have not quite recovered after being disconnected from the Khala. Its...quite a change".

"I see...sorry, not sure what I could say to help".

"Its enough that you are trying to understand" Hazaral replied as she went by. "Besides, we dont really have the time to complain. This vessel had Dark Templar serving on board, so we were able to adapt, but there are many of the Daelaam that were on ships with none. Its very likely that most of them have been corrupted by now".

"I see...so that is why you were more inviting then I had anticipated".

"Well, the fact that two honored Templar, even if only in Spirit, came with you helped, and that open minded clearness Ark had also helped...but, it is true we are not in a position to turn away help as well".

Collins then connected another two pieces together, and quickly fused them. As he did, a number of other systems came online, and this included some probes.

"Ah, it appears enough was fixed to enable the automated support. This is good".

"Not quite...Takra, you should get ready to fight a battle of control".

"Of control?" Takra asked, but then suddenly realized what he meant and got to work. Hazaral meanwhile looked at the two questioningly, but then understood telepathically. "The corrupted Phase Smiths on the ship!"

"They are attempting to take control of the automated systems! Alert the Templar!"

Collins then ran over to the control interface next to Takra. "How can I help?"

"The interface is psi-based...but, the monitoring system should be a display! Please alert me to changes!"

"Understood...hold on, I can understand this much! They are trying to take charge of Door Controls!"

"Countering!"

* * *

Sarak and Ark felt the telepathic messages of their allies from the bridge.

"It seems like things are getting worse...we need to hurry" Saruk mentioned, deploying a warp blade. They had cleared a good amount of the ship right now, the next room was one of their robotics bays. It was likely were the Phase Smiths corrupted by the Khala, and by Amon, were. They forced the door open psionically, but the moment the two of them went in, the doors slammed shut again, as the lights went out. ANd in that darkness, several warp blades activated.

Ark countered with psionic lightning, firing at the areas, but they disappeared like a mist when he did.

"Dark Prelate Sarak, I still am learning and getting used to things...I cant tell the Phase Smiths from the Templar. Can you?"

"I can...they are in the back, attempting to take control of the ship".

"Then go to them" Ark said, as he ignited the full power of his psi blades. "I will hold them off".

"Even if you have the psionic power and their memories...you are still one against many! And you are still..."

"I know more of Protoss Ways then of Terran. I feel more at home among you all then I did in a Terran city...but I cannot claim the fame and honor that you treat Arkas and Razatul...of Karaz. I need to earn it for myself".

Sarak narrowed his eyes, and then nodded.

"I see...this would serve nicely...as a test to become Dark Templar. I will trust it to you, Ark".

Sarak then sped ahead, as the Blades in the dark surrounded Ark. They were masking their pressence, so it was hard to tell which ones were real and which ones were illusions. Although Ark did not know how they were using Void energies like this, as Dark Templar were not connected to the Khala and therefore could not be corrupted, he considered that these Templar were gaining this power through this Amon entity.

And then, the blades came together. Ark reinforces his shield to take some of the attacks, while using his Psi Blades to clash with others and hold them off. He did not use his eyes so much as his ears, and his telepathy to sense the true psionic attacks from the fakes. They all came at him en mass, but he waved around one he had determined to be real and got around and under him, severing his Nerve cord which made him fall to the ground. The others then came after him, and one unleashed psionic lightning at his feet with enough power to fuse the boots to the metal. He jumped out of the boots, now barefoot, and quickly twisted his body around to counter a slash.

"All shall serve Amon!"

That voice echoed around him, but he blocked another strike and then psionically boosted himself up and above the Templar, twisting his body and arms around to cut off another nerve cord from above, freeing him. He didn't know how many more were left, but he would keep going. He had to keep going. If he failed, Sarak would get swarmed from behind, and the Phase Smiths could cause more trouble and gain control of the automated systems.

Three more Templar came after him at once, but he rolled to the right and then charged right towards them. He unleashed a torrent of psionic lightning to paralyze a few of them, but a female Templar seemed to block it with her Psi Blade. He clashed blades with her, as the other two came at him from the sides. He then jumped up right as they got in range, and while doing a flip cut off another two Nerve cords. Several of the fake blades had disappeared as well, but enough to believe it was more then just one left. As he landed, the female Templar came after him again, but he blocked it and knocked her away. He then charged at her, but that was when another Templar came from the shadows and broke through his shield.

He had to duck under and evade the Psi blade from the female templar simultainously, somehow managing it and getting around the side. As the templar turned to face him, he blinked through the shadows and grabbed a hold of a wall, pushing off and going right for the zealot. He severed the nerve cord, but once again had to duck as the female templar came at him with quite a bit of force. At this point, it appeared to just be the two of them. He clashed again with psi blades, and then hit her with a kinetic pulse, knocking her backwards as he ran over and finally severed her nerve cords.

With that done, the psionically summoned darkness vanished, and Ark collapsed to the ground on the spot. He was tired, extremely tired. That battle was the most intense he had ever felt. He ended up laying on his back, as Sarak came over.

"You are indeed...Templar".

Ark just smiled, as he took some deep breaths.

"We will handle the remaining Templar. These were the rest of the Phase Smiths, and so now the ship is completely under our control. Furthermore, there should not be too many Templar next".

* * *

Hazaral could not help but be amused and intrigued as she heard of what happened.

"It appears the ship is ours...now, before any of Amon's ships learn of where we are, let us warp somewhere they can not find".

"I do have something I need to settle, its at a place very out of the way, so we could go there" Collins mentioned, getting the navigational data out.

"I see...we will go there then. Everyone, prepare for warp!"

* * *

"I see now...the location they will go to next" the infested terran, Argus, said to himself as he saw images in his mind, while he sat in a circle with five other infested terrans. They were all equipped with psi blades and shield devices, and they had all been former test subjects. But now, their singular purpose was to serve Daggoth, the Coremind of the Swarm. At the moment, they were using their psionics to see through the tides of time, and locate Ark. And they believe they had found it.

"It appears a terran place known as Last Junction...is where we will find the one our master seeks. Our master believes he is the key towards unlocking the genetic bridge...and allowing us to achieve the goal of our master".

And so, they immediately prepared to leave at once towards the location.

* * *

Chapter Notes:

-The reason that Ark wanted to prove himself was beccause he could sense a lot of the respect coming towards him was actually due to Karaz, and therefore wanted to properly earn it himself.

-The Protoss is a warrior culture, so Ark's ability to fight helped him earn his place. It is also a tribe of honor, so they felt sympathy when they learned what he went through.

-Takra is an especially social and friendly Protoss, and Hazaral has wisdom to plan ahead even without seeing the future. She is also good at measuring a person's character, resolve, and strength, be them Terran or Protoss.

-As you can now imagine, this story is taking place at the beginning of the End War. Since everything was so chaotic at that point, it should be fun!

-We have now had a Zerg, Terran, and Protoss enemy, in that order.


	4. Chapter 4: Psionics

**Chapter 4: Psionics**

"It looks like no one is following us" Ark mentioned as he, Hazaral, Sarak, Collins, and Takra stood around a projector table that was showing the region and space of all the nearby space.

A good amount of Templar were still recovering from the shock of their nerve cords being severed, but there were some who were up and about. The ship was now close to the Terran world known as Last Junction, so Collins could complete his job, clear his debt, and Ark could fufill his side of the agreement. They were maintaining a good distance away, and the Nerazim were using their void energies to keep the Koramund Ehlna cloaked from sensors. They remained out of the range of Detectors, so they would be fine.

"I do not trust this place" Hazaral mentioned, feeling unusual psionic eminations. "There are people here who are oppressed, enslaved...and I sense stolen Protoss technology here".

"Not surprising, this place is full of scum" Collins said. "I honestly didn't want to work with them, but...if I dont fufill this delivery, they will keep hunting us down. ANd given the state of the galaxy, I would like to have as little enemies as possible".

"I sense something off about this place as well...this feels familiar...like my Psi-Amp".

Collins looked over at the Psi-Amp, which he had finally been allowed to inspect.

"It seems like Jorium is used to help power it. In addition to genetic and bio-enhancements, they also had that thing. Just how powerful did they want to make their psionic warriors?"

_"I believe I once heard them say that they wanted to easily contend and defeat the Queen of Blades..."_

Everyone went silent at that moment.

"Sorry about that, Dark Prelate Ark".

"Its fine...from what I heard, it seems understandable to feel that way. Frm what I heard, she is really scary".

Indeed, multiple people there had wondered, if only for a second, if the project was all that bad and unreasonable if that was the goal. After all, the Queen of Blades was a threat to the billions of lives in the galaxy. A threat to entire worlds. Although, according to Hazaral, before they lost all communications with other ships and Protoss, there were some reports that the Swarm had pulled back and away.

She considered the possibility that the reason the Swarm attacked that station was because they believed it was producing Hybrid, but even if supposedly she had changed, she was still the Queen of Blades who had slaughtered billions, including as they recently discovered one of their Expeditionary forces AFTER she had been freed by the Xel'Naga artifact when they investigated their disappearance and lack of communication.

"Anyways, if this Jorium is used for Ark's Psi-Amp, then it could prove useful. And I sense something else...something like distress. But the feeling is unclear" Hazaral mentioned. "It will take us some time to get there though. In the mean time, Takra, please get more of the ship systems online".

"Then come, Prelate Ark, let us use this time to help you learn to focus and control your psionic energies".

"I will work on the ship in the meantime, and look into our cargo stores" Collins added.

And so, everyone separated.

* * *

Inside the Koramund Ehlna, there were several chambers used for medication, psionic sanctuaries. In this place, those within would take off their armor and sit in the center of the room, hoping to grow and understand their psionic abilities. This was true, even for Ark, who had taken off all of his clothes, and adorned a piece of cloth. It was similar to that of the dark templar, only it was not as long, tied around his lower torso above the waist and draping down, with the rest of his body exposed.

At first, Ark had wondered if Collins had wanted to join them and try it as well, but after Collins saw what Ark was wearing, he decided to focus on what he needed to do. Apparently, in terms of Terran culture, the outfit could be seen as embarrassing. Ark, lacking a Terran's common sense, didn't really get that though, and wondered if he should try to spread Protoss culture to other Terrans, wondering if this gap is what caused much of the tensions between the two species. Of course, his common sense was that of a Protoss, so that might be why.

Besides, wearing this helped him feel more relaxed, as it was similar to what Razatul, and other Dark Templar had worn. It was noted that with his size and physique, the lighter and more cloth like armor and appearance of the Dark Templar would likely suit him better, although he was also interested in some of hte High Templar designs. As such, Takra was working on a special set of armor for him at the side.

But right now, what mattered was not his body, but his mind. Peering into the depths of his own consciousness and psionics, he and Sarak meditated, before opening their eyes to a different setting. The two were now sitting in a lush garden, with a wonderful fountain by the side splashing water on them, dampening them. Green jungles stretched far, with protoss buildings popping up between them. Waterfalls could be seen and heard in the distance, as well as the feeling of the mist they made. Plenty of fauna and flora thrived, spreading around.

"This is..."

"Auir, at least of how you remember it, or wish to. And of how the Protoss that fled it remember it as well. In this chamber, as we meditate, we see within ourselves, and therefore learn more about ourselves. This scenery reflects your nature. Kind hearted, colorful, energetic...as well as fierce. The vibrancy of colors, the abundence of creatures, is an indicator of a strong will...a strong mind. It is here that you can refine and focus your psionic energy, such as through your Psi-Storms, or through the Shadow Movement. Both the dark energies and the light energies, you can use both".

As he mentioned that, dark and light energies began to flow around them, as if wisps.

"As you have no nerve chords, you have no connection to the Khala, but this allowed you to be spared Amon's corruption, and not suffer from losing it either. You remember all that the Templar who reside within you do, as they are here now".

As that was mentioned, Arkas and Razatul appeared, though their forms were not as solid. Furthermore, they didn't really look indepdent of each other either.

"Is this..."

"The result of an Archon merge. Still, they have retained their form far longer then normal Archons, because you, a physical existence, became their Anchor. I do not know how long they will last, or even if they will ever really fade away. But it is most certainly a gift to have them back, in any form. Thank you".

"No, thank you, for accepting me...I still have much to do to earn my own honor. I can feel it...much of it is the sheer respect you have for them, and as they accepted me, so did you all".

"This may be true, but we of the Nerazim value our identities, our individuality. Their acceptance certainly helped, but we feel your true essence, your emotion. You feel more Protoss then Terran, and your emotions...so young and hopeful...gives us energy. While we may not have the Khala, we never truly needed it to understand each other and our feelings. In the eyes of the Nerazim, it was a crutch, and a theft of our individuality. But you, who was accepted by both the light and the dark, shine as an example. That reguardless of form, we are all people, and we can get along".

Ark smiled, as he felt happy and grateful for those words.

"Now, let us help you focus your psionic abilities...let the memories flow through you, and help you understand power..."

Ark could see it. His use of telepathy, his telekinetics, his psionic lightning, and his shadow movement. He could also see his psionic agility and strength. But there was far more psionic power behind it, that he had yet to properly utilize. To wield the void itself and render targets weakened or worse. To mend things and people with thought alone. To empower constructs and command them at will. Or to even warp in psionic manifestations. There was so much more that could be done, and he had only scratched the surface.

And in this state, he could see it. The paths he could walk, future possibilities and abilities. So many paths.

"What you see before you is the path that all Dark Templar, and now all Templar in general, shall walk. Now unconnected from the Khala, even those not of the Nerazim will now have to forge their own paths, rather then following those of the ancestors. What you choose is up to you, but to properly gain control over your psionic power, you must choose slowly and carefully, and meditate often. This is not a path that can be rushed, for it is the path in which you shall walk your entire life".

Ark was able to understand. If he were to try and bring it all under control at once, it could crush him. But it was also a matter of discipline. And in the end, this was just a manifestation of knowledge. Whatever he chose, he would eventually develop abilities further simply through utilizing them and training.

This is what makes Protoss so formidable psionically. They truly understand the way it works, and how to utilize it.

As such, Ark saw his own faults. Although Protoss minds are fine, his telepathy is still a bit wild, and could easily overwhelm a Terran's mind if he is not careful. In fact, some phase smiths and scientists on the ship could sometimes be overwhelmed by it. Therefore, it was best if he sifted through the energy in search of improving his telepathy, in order to not have that continue to become an issue.

This was not something he could just do instantly, but it was the start, and therefore would help make things progress and develop his abilities. They spent much time, as inside the psionic landscape, hours passed here while mere seconds occurred in reality, as if it was a dream.

By the time they opened their eyes, it was as if weeks had gone by. For Protoss, which could calculate multiple scenarios and possibilities in seconds, this was a development of that ability. Through meditation and focus, they were able to spend time like that, harnessing and focusing their power. Ark's brain had been altered to operate more like a Protoss', so he was also able to achieve that effect through meditation.

And it was only the beginning.

* * *

"We are now approaching Last Junction...we are staying far enough away to avoid sensors though, and our Nerazim forces are channeling void energies throughout the hull to keep us concealed" Hazaral mentioned, as they brought up a hologram of the port that Collins had to give his deliveries too.

"Good, I vote we just drop it off and then immediately depart. This world is dangerous, after all".

"How dangerous?"

"Every child is basically a spy. They know that information brokers will pay them for anything that could be helpful. That said, this is a black market hub. People do live here peacefully. Otherwise, business would not thrive so well. So as long as we dont go into anyone's base or den, we should be safe".

"Should be?"

"Honestly, since we came with 'product', they should greet us with open arms. Though, we should definently not let them find out about the Protoss being around. They treat each other well, but...they might all see a Supercarrier as good prey, and try and come after it together".

"Then we will head down in the dropship..."

"There are unusual psi-signatures there as well, so I will investigate" Sarak said, as a few Dark Templar came up behind him.

"Understood. Adun Toridas, Prelate Sarak".

"Adun Todidas, Prelate Ark".

And so, taking the shuttle that at least looked Terran, they flew towards a neutral space port near the area they were supposed to deliver the supplies to. Collins was carrying the cargo on a loader, while Ark was on foot.

That said, as they landed, a few individuals asked for a docking fee. Ark decided to test out his new and enhanced telepathy, projecting mental images into their heads that made them think without a doubt they got paid, as well as planting the idea that everything was fine and that there was no need to report this matter.

"Wow, you really did improve your telepathy" he said as Ark put up a hood for the cloak he now had, in addition to his normal terran attire. After all, blending in was important. "All of that was from one meditation session?"

"Its because I have Karaz to help me, and also because it was to help me begin. I cant fully dominate a person's mind, but I can at least plant thoughts and suggestions in people who are calm. If they were aware or hostile to us though, that will have no effect" Ark explained silently. _Sarak, what is your progress?_

_"We are scouting out the area of your deal, as well as investigating psionic signatures...it appears a batch of Terran slaves, children mostly between the ages of ten to fourteen, as well as some captured protoss...they have devices on them similar to your own, on the backs of their necks, as well as crates of yellow crystals nearby that radiate psionic power"._

That concerned Ark greatly. _I think they called it Jorium...they have Psi-Amps? Jorium is used in it I think. But why slaves and here...then again, the cells were fairly low...they must be other test subjects. Do you think you can free them?_

_"The area is tightly monitored, and they even have detectors. Furthermore, they seem to be a powerful psionic watching over them. Breaking them out is something we can do, but with all those captives being monitored this greatly, once we release them the Terrans will notice and go on high alert"._

In other words, they could only do it once they had concluded their business, and done more scouting. After all, Last Junction had many orbital installations above it. They are all operated as Anti-Zerg defenses, and it makes this place nearly as defended as Korhal or Auir was.

_ALright then. Make your preparations. Set some void mines. Once me and Collins do our business, we will head back to the ship to secure our evac point. Dont meet up with us though, we are already being watched._

Thanks to the training and understanding he gained, his telepathy had improved. He was no longer causing mental spikes in the minds of Terrans he read, at least provided he stayed cautious and remained calm and controlled. That said...

_These people...something feels off._

Ark thought that as they entered the black market area. Collins operated the loader and set them down. At that moment, the buyer came up.

"Ah, a pleasure to see you Collins. I see you managed to make it here" a large woman said. Ark detedcted some surprise and incinserity in her mind though.

_"More then likely, she might be behind that intercept earlier. It appears she wanted to get as much out of him as possible..."_

_She is probably planning something._

Ark had his guard up, and he noticed Terrans moving around them. It appears this woman did not plan to handle this business with honor as well.

In truth, not only Ark, but Collins suspected it, and the Protoss could sense it from him. However, even if they might be dishonorable, he would keep his honor, even if it meant walking into a den of wolves. Although, he certainly did not plan to go unprotected.

Ark prepared himself, as he saw a few snipers appear on the rooftops. He could sense them psionically, and it seemed as if she was about to give the signal.

"Alert! Alert! Zerg organisms detected! Zerg organisms detected inbound towards the planet!" a large, planet wide announcement system went off, as alarms began to blare. In that instant, all thoughts of hostilties between each other ceased. Ark wanted to say it seemed pretty lucky, but a Zerg invasion right now wasn't much better.

"Well now, with our business concluded" Collins said, taking the payment and dropping off the cargo in a movement. "It appears we both have better things to do".

The woman grit her teeth. The Zerg was likely seconds away, so she couldn't afford to cause a scene right now. Thus, she was forced to just accept the cargo and let them go.

"Is this bad luck or good luck?" Collins asked as he started to drive the loader back to the dropship

"I don't believe in luck" Ark replied. "Rather a..."

"Yeah, I get it. So what is the plan?"

_Hazaral, what is the situation up there?_

_"Zerg Lifeforms have blockaded the exit, with swarms of scourge and Overseers. Even we wont be able to pass unnoticed, so we are caught in their net as well"._

_Sarak, the rescue?_

_"We can move at any time, but...with the Zerg coming in, it will be hard to leave the area...what the...this signature..."_

Suddenly, a massive psionic signature could be felt, and a massive meteor appeared from warp space. Ark could sense it psionically, it appeared to be parked near some orbital platforms, and was invading. Terran defenses were being overrun, including the path towards their ship. Of course, they could warp aboard, but the Zerg Blockade would prevent them from leaving the system.

And also, Ark recognized the meteor's psionic wavelength.

"Its that thing that attacked the research ship...its the Zerg that came after us before..." Ark muttered, as a Zerg Drop Pod managed to get through the orbital defenses and landed in the clearing ahead. Several mercs wearing marine armor came out to shoot it, but as they began to fire, the dust cleared and a weird humanoid like Zerg Organism, that seemed to have a massive central body, but somewhat smaller arms and legs, let loose a screech. Ark immediately shielded the Terran minds near him once he noticed a psionic wavelength in the screach, but it was too late for the marines around it. They suddenly started to fire at each other like crazy, but when they calmed down, they turned their guns away from the Zerg organism and at the other Terrans.

"Its like a Siren.." Collins muttered, as the Siren focused its eyes on them. Recognizing the existence of another psionic, it charged towards them, its hands having numerous claws. However, it then was shot several times in the head, before Ark had a chance to do anything.

"That was some pretty impressive psionic shielding, kid" a female voice spoke up. The two turned around to face it, and it seemed to be a black haired girl with purple eyes. "Names Casey, Ex-Confederate Ghost".

"ANd im her partner, Karyn" another man said, radiating even higher psionic energy. Notably, Ark couldn't reach into them telepathically, they were protecting themselves.

"What do you want?" Collins asked.

"Well, the think is, we are bored, and were looking for a ride off this planet, and I thought you and your cloaked friends up there might be able to help".

Ark put his guard up a little as he heard that, but the two quickly motioned him down.

"Relax, we are not threatening or anything. But, you just seem like the most trustworthy person here" Casey mentioned. "So, how about we help you get off world with your friends, and anything or anyone else you might want, and in exchange you let us come with you?"

Ark had a feeling they were hiding something, but they were very adept at telepathic shielding. He wasn't even sure he would break through even with force. Even though he had just refined his telepathy, it reminded him he still had a long way to go.

_Hazaral?_

_"I agree they have some sort of ulterior motive, but this Zerg Swarm is unusual. We should add to our numbers right now and remain cautious"._

"Very well, in that case..."

"Our best bet would be to get up to the orbital platform, and hold it from there. If we can keep it in working order long enough, we can have it decimate the Zerg organisms that are deploying the rest of the Swarm" Collins mentioned, having the largest knowledge of Space Platforms out of all of them.

"Alright then...but just us will be hard" Karyn mentioned.

"Then it wont be just us" Ark said, as they made their way towards the shuttle. "And for the record, im not a kid. Im older then I look".

* * *

Chapter Notes:

-So after tons of research and investigating, I couldn't find really much of any information to how any Templar meditate on and improve their psionic abilities, but since LotV indicated the Khala was not 100% needed, it ended up coming with meditation in a special chamber, and referenced the Protoss' mental abilities and psionic abilities to make it work. And since he was with a Dark Templar, I also incorperated the idea of choosing a path, as something I did find is that Dark Templar's tend to choose their own Paths and focuses, individualizing their training.

-I also couldn't find much information on Protoss clothes/attire and their significance. Or much about Protoss culture at all. Its not gone into that much or well. So, I did the best that I could to develop it through the meditation as well. Its a shame, because I wanted to know the significance of the cloak and armor style Zeratul and other Dark Templar had.

-Last Junction is another actual location in the sector. Its known for hosting the largest black market, and having a 23 hour long day. Its also a Merc Haven with no ties to any greater power. Materials such as Jorium has repeatedly passed through its markets, as well as Protoss technology.

-Im mostly putting these up to help explain things in case they dont know them or just as a sort of fun fact trivia, so as we go on, you may not see as many if any Chapter notes.

-Never underestimate Terran Greed.


End file.
